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 The Stakkholt Area is framed
by Glacier Eyjafjallajokull to the south, River Hvanna to the east,
River Steinsholtsa to the west, and River Krossa to the north. It
derives its name from a free standing, rocky hillock, called Stakkur
or Stakur, which contains a shallow cave with man made walling, where
the farmers and their workers sometimes spent the nights, when they
were rounding up the sheep.
The Stakkolt Gorge
is a unique natural phenomenum. It cuts about 2 km into the mountains
from northwest to southeast from its mouth. The hiking trail to its
end lies between about 100 m high and mossy walls, which the fulmars
have colonized far away from the sea. The gorge grows narrower
towards the end, where a hidden waterfall cascades down from the
brink. Two other gorges branch to the glacier in the south.
At the mouth of
the Hvannargil Gorge is a prominent cleft called Gunnufud near the
so-called Nauthillur. According to the legend, a married couple
vanished without a trace from the settled areas. They were sought and
eventually found in the Hvannargil Gorge. They had stolen a lamb and
were cooking it at the time. The name of the woman was Gudrun and the
cleft was named after her.
Mt Hatindar (666m)
protrudes above the Stakkur Ridge above the innermost part of the
Stakkholt Area. It offers an excellent view on a fine day and from
there you look directly down into the Southern Gorge.
Outside the mouth
of the Stakkholt Gorge is an area called Fagriskogur, which name
suggests a wooded area in the past, and according to written sources
it was wooded up to the middle of the 18th century. Above
it is the vegetated and steep Mt Rjupnafell.
To the west of
River Steinsholtsa and Glacier Tongue Steinsholtsjokull are the
westernmost summer pastures outside the Thorsmork Area. |
